Best to: RESEARCH! Thoroughly... qualified
opinions only need apply... Next: DRAW all out on quadrille
paper, or if you're handy with computers... Then: FIND/GATHER
the gear, tools, materials, Finally: LAY ALL OUT to make sure all
is there, ahead of actual assembly.

Small Marine Aquariums
Book 1: Invertebrates, Algae
New
Print and
eBook on Amazon:
by Robert (Bob) Fenner

Small Marine Aquariums
Book 2: Fishes
New
Print and
eBook on Amazon: by Robert (Bob) Fenner

Small Marine Aquariums Book 3: Systems
New
Print and
eBook on Amazon:
by Robert (Bob) Fenner

Instruction Manual, Reef Ready set up sans directions
in print... Pb and... Mmmm...
12/13/09
Hey crew,
<Hello Ryan.>
I am a bit bummed out. I did all my homework and thought I had a
great thing going. Picked out a tank size based on the livestock
I wanted to house to ensure I could be a good provider and put in
A LOT of hours on WWM. I found the tank size I wanted to upgrade
to. I wanted to do a sump and fuge and really do the whole thing
right. I shopped and shopped and read and read on WWM and waited.
Finally I found one. Here is how much I paid $1260. Here is what
I got. A 120g Oceanic Systems Tech series, 30g sump, stand, and
Coralife light fixture with 2 true blue actinic, 2 metal h, and 4
moon glow LED. I know it sounds too good to be true. And it's
not what you are thinking, everything is fine for the most part.
The stand is in good order, no dings in the tank, it holds water,
(I made sure prior to purchase) the light works fine, and it all
looks amazing. It was marketed as a "reef ready" set up
which didn't really matter to me.
<Theses tanks are more reef ready than most called
that.>
I was just happy I found a package deal at a great price that had
everything I wanted. The tank has an overflow/pre drilled sump,
all PVC and plumbing was included.
Here is the problem. I didn't think to make sure there was an
instruction manual. Who would really? It is just one of those
things we assume. I tried oceanicsystems.com but they don't
have any online. I tried every search engine I could. I put in a
call but got nothing back. Now I have this awesome tank and sump
with all of these pre drilled holes and plumbing and nothing to
go by as to how to set it up. I feel like I have exhausted every
resource. So WWM, any ideas?
<Well, these do not have a manual to speak of that I know
about. Basically you are going to use the drilled holes as sump
drains or pump returns.>
Thanks for everything you do. If you folks don't have any
more ideas above what I tried you don't have to worry about
getting back to me. I know you are all super busy.
<Ah, just look through the net for setup examples...the
offerings on YouTube can give you many ideas on how to plumb
this. There is no one correct way, a lot of it is personal choice
and preference based on your equipment.>
Happy Fish Keeping,
_Ryan_
<You too, Scott V.>

Refugium 12/13/09
Hello Crew,
<Hello again Ryan.>
The information on this site is unbelievable. They have problems
in the workplace these days with Facebook and MySpace. Not here
my friends, I have to make a real effort to stay off this site at
work or I would accomplish nothing at all.
<Ha, been there too!>
I e-mailed in the other day regarding a new purchase of a 120g
Oceanic Tech Series with a 30g Oceanic Sump (pre-drilled) with no
instructions for anything (plumbing from the overflow/pump
installation/return/etc. I was upset at first but then I had a
radical idea... I have a brain of my own and can set this up any
way I want!!
<Ohhh yeah!>
Here is what I am planning. All of this is preliminary in the
sketch/diagram phase: I have a gravity feed into the sump via
overflow and Durso Standpipe from the main tank. The water hits
the skimmer in the first compartment then through a set of
baffles that house a few tablespoons of carbon in a media bag
into compartment two that features 4-5 inches of live sand, live
rock, and some Chaetomorpha. The water free flows over the
refugium into compartment three, however I plan on a small rio
pump inside the fuge to give the Chaetomorpha the water movement
it needs to thrive. I plan on a light, maybe a compact T5 as a
grow light on a reverse daylight schedule from the display tank
to help stabilize pH fluctuations. Compartment 3 houses the
heater and return pump. I am thinking about a Mag 9 5. I am
confused though as to where I can put in some minor mechanical
filtration.
If I have a foam pad or fiber aft the refugium as far as linear
flow is concerned, will that allow the benefits of the fuge to
reach the main tank?
<It should unless it is a very fine pad. If you can I would
incorporate this first, before
all else.>
(pods and etc for animals in the main tank to feast on) Also, are
my appliances in the correct order. (skimmer prior to fuge)
<Yes.>
I read a lot of posts on WWM that people prefer to skim prior to
the fuge.
This is my first sump/refugium set up and I really want to take
my time and do it right. I am living by the measure twice cut
once theory. I am also pluming in a drain for easy water changes.
When I put in the baffles and plumbing as per my measurements,
what kind of caulk/PVC cement do you recommend.
<Any PVC cement will work fine, just give it 24 hours to fully
cure before adding water. As for the baffles, what materials are
you using? If you are going glass to glass just use pure
silicone. Be sure it does not have biocides/mildewcides in it. If
you are going glass with acrylic baffles, take a look here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_3/cav3i1/Baffles/bafflesart.htm.>
I don't want to poison the tank before I even get water in it
due to my structural components leaching bad stuff into the
tank.
Thanks for everything!
_Ryan_
<Welcome, have fun, Scott V.>

Best filter setup for my setup and tank
changeover advice Marine Filtration and Tank Changeover
11/17/08 Hi to all, Thanks to you all for your time and
commitment to our hobby. <Thank you for noticing the commitment!>
I have searched your site for info on my topic but was looking for an
opinion on my exact setup. I currently have a 46 bow reef that is
filtered by: 1 Aquaclear 110, 1 Remora skimmer, aprox 2/3 filled with
live rock and 1 power head. This setup and run well (I think) with no
issues for 3 years. Now I am changing out to a 72 bow non-RR. I am not
sure on the best filtration for this setup. I want to stay away from
the standard type of "open" overflow and wet/dry filter. Not
sure why but, mostly because of noise and sump size. Although, I went
with the non reef ready because I travel a bit for work and cannot
always top off as frequently as a RR wet/dry small sump needs. (wife
can feed fish ok but not up to topping off for me). <If you have the
room for a sump, do reconsider. Auto top off units out nowadays are
great, and very beneficial to tanks with or without sumps through the
consistent SPG they keep.> I am thinking about a canister filter
(please recommend best type/brand/model for my tank size if you can)
<Eheim, first choice.> and another hang on mechanical filter, a
tank 2/3 full of live rock and 2 power head for flow ....?? What do you
think about this. Is there a better way to filter my setup?
<Personally I would forgo all of the traditional filtration. Just
rely on LR and the Remora...really.> What is ideal? <The above
with a sump and refugium.> And last, what is your thoughts on a 2
day cutover from the 46 bow to the 72 reef? Steps: SAT AM -move half
water and all corals and fish to Rubbermaid bin. -move light, Aquaclear
110, and heater to the coral bin for 24 hour stay. -move base rock to
2nd Rubbermaid bin. -remove remaining water sand and breakdown tank.
-set new 72 bow and fill half way with new saltwater. -install sand and
base rock. -fill all but 2" and get filter and heater working(no
powerheads yet) SUN AM or PM as needed for water quality -hopefully
most of the sand has settled and water is just cloudy -replace corals
and fish Will this work OK? <It will, just keep the bins aerated and
heated. This really can be done in one day, a few hours at most.>
Should my fish and corals survive?(2 damsels, 1 Oscels. clown, 1 yellow
watch men, mostly mushrooms, zoos, softies and LPS-no SPS-PC lights)
<Yes.> Any additional advise on the change over? <Sounds like
you have it. Just do it fast and keep your water the livestock is in as
consistent as you can.> Thanks again for your time and all you guys
and gals do for the hobby. <Thank you again, Scott V.>

Reef Plumbing/Filtration -
04/09/06 Hello, <<Howdy>> I have just switched from a
55 gallon tank to a 90 gallon tank with a 30 gallon sump.
<<Cool!>> I have four 1-inch bulkheads in my tank and a
Mag-Drive 9.5 in my sump. The guy where I purchased this
tank from (Steve, from Elmer's Aquarium in Monroeville, PA) said
this would circulate 1000 GPH. <<Would be close, yes...assuming
no backpressure for the pump to work against. In reality
your flow will be somewhat lessened, determined in large part by your
plumbing configuration.>> One of my questions is that I only have
one bulkhead open because that is all the pump can handle.
<<Likely your plumbing/head height (all creates backpressure) are
severely restricting output.>> So this would be 250 gallons GPH,
correct? <<Mmm, not necessarily...but if the single 1"
return is handling the flow without excessive noise, surge, etc., then
you are likely pumping 350 gph or less.>> Is that enough
circulation that I can just leave it alone? <<Through the
sump?...yes...for the tank as a whole?...no. Do supplement
flow in the tank with other methods...perhaps a closed-loop utilizing
one or more of the other bulkheads.>> Only thing I noticed wrong
was one of my elbows coming out of the sump is dripping once about
every 1 to 2 minutes. And it is dripping back into the sump
tank so I am not really worried about it. <<Ah, okay.>> The
micro bubbles are very minimal. What am I doing wrong?
<<I don't know that you are (doing anything wrong)...I would
need more information about your plumbing configuration to say.>>
My next question is do I need to run a canister filter for this setup?
<<Likely the canister filter isn't 'necessary,' but
one could be beneficial for using chemical media
(carbon/Poly-Filter)...if 'maintained/serviced'
properly.>> I currently have about 50 lbs. of live rock, some
corals, 2 yellow tailed damsels, 1 yellow tang, 1 goby, 2 clown fish, 1
royal Gramma, 1 flame angel, 1 coral beauty, 1 cleaner shrimp along
with a cleanup crew. I have read on this site that canister
filters are often misused with tanks running a sump. <<And also
those without...is a maintenance (or neglect of) issue.>> Would a
canister filter help me or hurt me? <<If you clean/rinse all on a
weekly/bi-weekly basis, and change out media as it becomes exhausted,
then it will help you. Regards, EricR>>
Reef
Plumbing/Filtration II - 04/10/06 Hello again,
<<Hello>> Thanks for the speedy reply. <<You're
welcome>> I still have a few questions about your answers.
<<Ok>> You talk about back pressure. It is about
4 feet from my pump to the top of my tank. <<According to the
manufacturer that alone would reduce the output to about 800
gph. Then you have to consider elbows, tees, friction from
the pipe itself, etc., etc..>> My plumbing comes out of the pump
to the top of the sump tank and goes diagonally to the middle of my
stand where it then T's off and one goes up one side of the tank
and the other side of the T goes up the other side of the
tank. So I have 2 3/4-inch pipes going into my tank from the
T. <<And all adds to head pressure (back pressure to the
pump).>> And I am using 1" flex-pipe coming out of my
bulkheads. You also talk about noise. What kind
of noise? <<Plumbing/water noise...the kind of noise you get from
trying to drain too much water through too small of a
throughput (your drains). This typically will manifest
itself as excessive gurgling/surging noises (some folks describe it as
akin to a toilet flushing) and excessive turbulence/bubbles in your
sump.>> The pump seems to be running fine. <<And it
probably is.>> Only noise I hear is when I shut the pump off the
pipes rattle for about 10 seconds and stop. <<!?>> I also
have a check-valve and shutoff-valve coming out of the pump.
<<Aha! The check-valve is your problem. Is
best to not use these as they will restrict flow greatly on most non
pressure-rated pumps...and the valve will likely fail on you at some
point as well. You should remove the check-valve and
position all inlets/outlets such that your sump will hold the transient
water volume in the event of a power outage.>> So my last
question would be do I need a bigger pump and if so how big do I need
to handle this? <<If you truly want 1000 gph then yes, you need a
bigger pump (how big depends on whether or not you remove the
valve). But if you heed my advice to remove the check-valve,
do that first and then see how your existing pump
performs. Regards, EricR>>
Reef Plumbing/Filtration
III - 04/10/06 Once more, Hello! <<Back at ya!>> I feel
like an idiot asking all these questions but in regards to your latest
remarks about the gargling. <<No worries mate...am happy to
elucidate>> Yes, I do get that when the water level gets low, is
there a way to stop that? <<Low where?...the
sump? Perhaps you need to extend your drain pipes, or add 45
or 90 degree ells. Do have a look here for more info on
noise abatement: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/pbnoisefaqs.htm
>> Next, how many gallons an hour through the sump is suitable
for a 90 gallon aquarium? <<It's not so much a matter of
what's a suitable flow rate for the tank, but more what's a
suitable flow rate for the plumbing/throughputs, as well as
consideration for the size of the sump, and maybe most important of
all...the location of the sump (in other words, do you want to be able
to talk/hear the television over the sounds of the
aquarium?). I don't think you've mentioned the size
of your sump in our previous exchanges, but with four 1" bulkheads
for drains you should be able to easily handle the output from the
Mag9.5 (sans check-valve) without undue
noise/difficulty. Open up all the drains and see what
happens/how things perform. If you don't wish to use
them all, plug one at a time until you reach that point where the water
starts to overcome the drains.>> Hopefully this will be the last
time I bother you and again, you have been a great help with your
answers. <<Not a bother my friend. We have a plethora
of information about this subject (and so many others!) on our
site...do some keyword searches re and you'll likely find what you
seek and more. But if you don't, please feel free to ask
a question. Regards, EricR>>

Confusion;
Sumps, Refugiums, Wet/Dry Trickle Filters, Flow Rates, and Wavemakers
-- 09/21/07 Dear Sirs, <<Greetings Carl...and BTW, very
capable ladies here as well>> I love your site. <<We thank
you>> I am still fairly new to this hobby and am pulling my hair
out at the variety of information available. <<Mmm, yes...much
info with varying opinions...but do keep reading/absorbing>> I
have made some progress, but have recently decided to take a step
forward and it just so happens that this next step seems exceedingly
baffling. <<Indeed, many hobbyists are intimidated by the
plumbing/flow/circulation aspects of tank setup...let's see if I
can help with your understanding re>> Currently I have a
46-gallon bowfront with a wet/dry which returns via an Aquaclear 70
powerhead. I have ordered a refugium and plan on turning the wet/dry
into a sump (I will then use both the sump and the refugium), but I
really can't figure out the plumbing for this. <<Quite
elementary really... The tank drains to the skimmer chamber of the
sump...a T-fitting is installed on the drain line with a gate-valve on
the output, and leading to the refugium...the refugium then
'gravity drains' to the pump chamber of the sump. Plumbing the
vessels in this manner lets you adjust/maintain a different flow rate
in the refugium if you wish>> In my setup, both the sump and
'fuge must be below the aquarium. <<Very common...and is how
my system is configured. Depending on the height of the individual
vessels, you may find you will need to elevate the refugium slightly to
allow it to gravity drain to the sump>> Besides plumbing, I am
also confused by flow rates. <<Okay>> I understand that the
aquarium flow rate should be higher than that of the refugium, but how
much exactly should I be aiming for...i.e. aquarium 8xhr? refugium
2xhr? <<Is variable...often dictated by the animals/species kept.
But as a general starting point this would be fine...could even add a
couple more 'volumes per hour' if you wish>> Is my
Aquaclear 70 adequate? <<As a means for circulating water through
the sump/refugium, maybe...depends on how much head-loss you experience
with this pump...but is likely inadequate on its own re water movement
within the display>> Wavemakers: I ordered a Wave2k before I read
your opinion on them. Should I return it? <<Mmm, I've not
used one of these devices...but I think it will overpower your 46g tank
with both its size and performance. The Koralia or smaller Tunze Stream
pumps would be a better choice here...in my opinion>> I was
planning on keeping it and augmenting in tank water flow with a Koralia
#1, a Koralia nano for bottom of the tank water movement, and the
return from the Aquaclear 70 of course. <<Ah well...you don't
need (or want!) the Wave2K then>> Thanks, Carl <<Here's
some links to more useful info
(http://www.wetwebmedia.com/plumbingmarart.htm ) and
(http://www.wetwebmedia.com/circmarart.htm ) and
(http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_2/cav2i5/wavemakers/Wavemakers.htm
). Do also follow the links in blue at the tops/in the margins of the
pages. Regards, EricR>>

Filtration Sequencing... What Is The
Best Filtration Sequence For A Reef Tank? -- 09/19/07 - Biological,
chemical, mechanical. - Biological, mechanical, chemical. - Chemical,
mechanical, biological. - Chemical, biological, mechanical. -
Mechanical, chemical, biological. - Mechanical, biological, chemical.
<<Mmm, well...biological filtration is going on most
'everywhere' in the system...but if setting up/arranging
sequential filtration modules, it is my opinion the last sequence
listed (mechanical, biological, chemical) is the best, for
'any' marine system. Mechanical filtration first (changed or
cleaned frequently) to trap and remove detritus/organic material to
reduce the load on the bio-filter (I consider a protein skimmer such a
device)...biological filtration next, to process 'dissolved'
organic compounds...and lastly, chemical filtration to augment these
processes and help reduce toxic levels of those elements not handled by
the previous two methods>> Thank you for your help. <<Happy
to assist>> Your website is very informative. <<Hope you
find it useful>> Sincerely, Tara Price <<Regards, Eric
Russell>>

Re: I am going crazy!!! (revised, I hope this is
better!!)... Reef tank filtr. mainly 4/25/07 Hello Mr.
Fenner and crew, <Jerry> After all the late night reading and
studying, I find the more I read and learn, the crazier I feel I am
getting. Here is my dilemma, I wish I can say I was one of the ones
that studied first and purchased second, but I
wasn't. Put that together with impatience and you have a
disaster waiting to happen. I have a 75 gallon LR/LS reef tank, stocked
with everything the LFS could sell me, (huge amounts of corals). I have
a small 17 gallon wet dry (18"x10"x16") and a 405 Fluval
(contains bios and Purigen). I have an Aqua C Urchin/Mag
sitting in my sump and next to that is a Rio 1250 gph. The
Rio returns directly into the left side of my tank. Since I was out of
room in the sump, I put a Pondmaster 2400gph outside. The Pondmaster is
pumping water to a JBJ chiller through a wall into the next room (it
took weeks to convince my wife!!). This returns to the right side of my
tank making a travel of 5' each way. I had perfect water for months
and now it seems the water changes are not keeping up with the
production of nitrates. <... You have read re Wet-Dries on WWM:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/bioballfaqs.htm and the linked
files above?> I was past 240 and did a 30 gallon water change, and
now it's down to 100. I plan on doing another big change in a
couple of days. (yet my corals/fish seem fine?) I read from your site
to remove bio-balls, I did that and replaced it with 4" of live
sand and 16lb of broken live rock. I have also added 2 full bags of
Chaetomorpha to the sump/refugium. I am still going through the drip
plate and PolyPads dropping down on top of the Chaetomorpha and LR/LS.
Is this okay? <Yes> I started to feel that this refugium is not
enough (always my problem), it is currently 8"x10". I have
read that any refugium is better than no refugium. <This is so>
Now I have so much water in the sump/refugium that if I had a power
outage, I would have about 5 gallons or more on the floor and a
divorce!! <Trouble... need to reduce the amount of water in the
tank/system...> Recently I bought a new tank
24"x12"x16" for a separate refugium. I would go bigger
but I have space constraints. I have just recently read about this
miracle mud. So now my brain takes me to another direction. Tank water
through the drip plate/poly pads into the miracle mud compartment. Flow
through to the skimmer side, Rio 1250 taking it through the wall 5'
to the refugium. Pondmaster 2400 will take it from the refugium to the
chiller (too much flow into chiller?) <No> and back another
5' to then split to both sides of the tank. Is this crazy or should
I just keep it simple? <Simple is better... Do read re how much flow
to send through/over the Mud... not much. Best to restrict flow or
bypass through this compartment> Either keep things as they are and
purchase a Sulphur Denitrator. Pull the sump/refugium out; replace it
with the new tank/refugium and put it under the display and call it a
day?? <I would do the latter> PLEASE HHEELLLPPP!! I don't
want to hurt anything in my tank with my constant changes. Ps I have a
red Caulerpa in my tank and it has grown large dark purple almost black
grapes on them is this normal? <Possibly... better to remove this
material if it starts to decompose. Bob Fenner> Jerry

Re: Some questions about reefs: Filters Hi Bob, I setup a 2
foot tank under my display tank and everything is in the sump now,
including heater, Eheim filter, UV light, skimmer and pump. I installed
a hang-on type overflow. I switched off the power to the pump to see if
the sump would overfill and it looks good. (Sounds good) I installed
the Turboflotor 1000 multi and retired the SeaClone. I have a few
questions about the Turboflotor. The model they gave me is for a
500-1000 liter tank. I only have about 350 liters. Will the skimmer be
okay on my tank? (Yes... a much better choice) There are two adjuster
valves which you can turn and this will adjust the height of the
bubbles going into the collection cup. Sometimes some water leaks from
them as the seal is not very tight. Is this a design fault or have I
done something wrong? If I have, how do I fix it? (A little of both...
do take the unit apart and put a swipe of silicone-grease like for
camera O-rings on the seals... and raise the water level in the contact
chamber to just under the collection cup...) I do have room to put a
light over the sump and put substrate and live rock in there. I have
read about this on the WWM site, but I just want the skimmer to kick in
first and hopefully improve the water quality. You should have seen the
salesman's face at my LFS when I brought a 2 foot tank instead of
his special bio-ball (very small) tank. He was not happy.
(Tough... you did the right thing) The corals are looking better today
(I suspect the SeaClone was helping a bit). (Yes) The setup is very
nice with the overflow and sump. I'm pleased that I did not have to
have the tank modified to have an overflow and sump. If you want to
have a look at what I have done, I can put some pictures up on the net,
just let me know :) Warmest regards Lucien Cinc (In a few days... when
I get back from Cabo-Baja-Mexico... the connections here are not
rapido... Roberto Fenner)

-Protein skimmer placement- I have a 220 gallon tank with an
Amiracle 30 gallon sump. I have 2 overflow boxes that hang on the back
of the tank. They say that you should use raw water to run in to the
skimmer. <Would be nice, not the end of the world if this
can't happen.> If my water is flowing into the sump via
the overflow boxes then into my filter pad then bio balls how do I get
raw water to my skimmer then get that water in to a filter pad?
<I wouldn't worry about it, most tanks are set up that
way.> I do understand the concept but most of the sumps that
they sell are not set up that way. <In reef aquaria I
don't recommend any type of mechanical filtration, so if you remove
that stuff, you'll get the "raw" water you
desire.> I will admit that when I purchased most of my stuff I
had sucky advice. At that time I did not know about wet web media.
Thank god I did learn about you guys (and girls?) though. <A
few!> I know that the output of my skimmer will not keep up
with the incoming water. What do I do? <Turn down the incoming water
w/ a gate valve?> I do have an extra sump laying around could
I use that somehow? It is smaller, like a 10 or 15 gallon sump.
<Well, I suppose you could tie it in to this one but it would
require lots of drilling for little to no gain.> I have
searched here and the internet but have found nothing solid to go on.
be feasible to eliminate the sump totally? <Not really, you need a
sump for an adequately sized skimmer.> A friend was selling
his tank and I bought it. He had over 300 pounds of live rock in his
tank. Before that I had a little over 300 pounds in mine. So I have
over 600 pounds of live rock in my tank. <Holy crap!>
He had his tank setup for about 6 years and the only filtration he used
was a skimmer. I am leery about using that set up since I have never
done it before. <No worries, you could run the pacific ocean
on 600lbs of live rock!> I have looked for a good site
explaining the Berlin style but came up wanting more. Know of any good
sites or books about it? <Why yes, check out Bob and
Anthony's new book called Reef Invertebrates. See Wet Web's
front page.> What do I do? I am leaving the survival and
quality of my tank in your hands ( no pressure). Would it be ok to use
2 skimmers? <It would be much better to use two so that when
one was cleaned, the other would assure that skimming is never
interrupted.> I have a Berlin XL and a Turboflotor, yeah I
know, they work though. <Pick up a Precision Marine bullet 3
or an AquaC EV-240 and I'll show you how a skimmer is SUPPOSED to
work! I think you're in good shape for now, good luck!
-Kevin> Talk to ya later. Kenny

Small Marine Aquariums
Book 1: Invertebrates, Algae
New
Print and
eBook on Amazon:
by Robert (Bob) Fenner

Small Marine Aquariums
Book 2: Fishes
New
Print and
eBook on Amazon: by Robert (Bob) Fenner

Small Marine Aquariums Book 3: Systems
New
Print and
eBook on Amazon:
by Robert (Bob) Fenner